Friday, August 25, 2017

Manview observations #10: Why I hate Sheikhs and Historical Royals

Welcome to another Manview observation. Mr Manview is really having a go at sheikhs and historical royals. My apologies of lovers of both in the romance genre. Personally, I'm not a big fan of sheikhs but I do love a royal romance, though more of the contemporary ones rather than historical ones. See what Mr Manview has to say about them.

I hope you enjoy this installment of Mr Manview's observations.

Desert with camel train

Hey, Mr. Manview gets it! He really does. I have come to embrace and enjoy my romance readings. Sure, there is a lot of fantasy involved, but it is always good to dream and know that nabbing the romance hero is a possibility. Renowned and prolific Australian romance writer, Michelle Douglas, calls it “romance that can happen to you!” (No stealing that tagline BTW, that’s hers and using it by others is a no-no!)

Romance that could happen to you - Michelle Douglas

I can see the heroine falling for the successful alpha male, the billionaire, the sports hero, exotic foreigner, doctor, returning vet or whatever. So why do I hate sheikhs and historical royalty figures? (First off, I should mention one of my favorite genres is historical romance – it is only the use of a historical royal as the hero that I think is total crap!)

Sooner or later the romance hero needs to care for and love the heroine and end up with her. And that just won’t happen with sheikhs or historical royals. They are just too selfish, too self-centered, too mean-spirited to ever give a damn about or care for anyone else, especially a woman beneath their means. I would more easily believe in an actual cyborg or vampire being real and the heroine nabbing them than I would a sheikh or historical royal! Sheikhs and historical royals marry to strengthen their families, not because they love another. And they are not exactly one-woman type of guys. They will do any woman they can find from servants to their concubines to prostitutes. There is just no way a sheikh or historical royal fits the romance genre – NO WAY! There is no chance the fantasy will ever happen. A billionaire, a sports icon or any of the others mentioned previously is plausible. But sheikhs and historical royals are too much the asshole to ever be a romance hero.

Man in thobe

I have never met a historical royal (I am old, but not that old!), but I have met many sheikhs. They will screw anyone over if they are not a member of their own tribe. And the women in their life walk ten feet behind them and only have a whiff of romance if it is time to breed sheikh junior. And then to read about a sheikh with solid 6-pack abs and lean, long, firm thighs and calves – SERIOUSLY? Have you ever touched one? They are nothing but flab hanging on their skeletal system. They don’t work out; they pay others to do that for them!

King in stained glass window

No, I can never, ever imagine a sheikh or a historical royal caring enough for a single woman. It won’t happen. That is “romance that will never happen to anyone!” And if you do not believe me, just try dating a sheikh and see how it feels, or try dating a historical royal. Of course, for that you need to invent a time machine to travel back in time, and the chances of you building a time machine are better than falling in love with an actual historical royal once you arrive!

Wedding rings

What do you think? Do you think Mr Manview is overly biased against these desert princes and historical royals?

Read all the other Manview observations here.


Find Deanna around SOCIAL MEDIA:
blogger  blogger  rss  facebook  twitter  instagram  email  youtube  pinterest  google+  goodreadsIt

10 comments:

  1. Loved this manview well said Steve and you know I agree with you but I love Sheikh stories for romance is an escape from reality so I can dream that the Sheikhs that are written about in the books I read are as gorgeous as they are written LOL, as for Historical Royals I have read a lot of Dukes and a couple of near Kings and enjoyed them as well and again for me I know they are not real but a enjoy them a lot, but I don't like Cyborgs at all and am not a big fan of Vampires those ones I stay away from LOL

    Have Fun
    Helen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Helen, how are we friends? I love cyborgs and vampires. You need to give them a shot. :-)

      Delete
  2. I used to like Sheik books, so funny, they never mentioned any sort of religion in them now when I think about it.

    I do love my royals, even if those are impossible too. Only a princess for a prince

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm selective about sheikh books. I've found a couple of authors whose sheikh books I enjoy. As for royals, I love the modern royals not so much the historical ones. I love stories of a modern day prince or princess finding love amidst duty and responsibility to the crown.

      Delete
  3. Oh, Steve, how disappointed are you going to be when I tell you my next release is a sheikh book? I love sheikh and royalty stories, but I agree that they're about as far removed from reality as one can get -- the ultimate fairy tale. I think genre fiction presents the world as we'd like it to be (rather than how it really is), and I suspect that's partly why these stories are so popular (and fun). The thought of being whisked into a world of glamour and power -- and bending that power to your own will and influencing it for the better -- is an intoxicating (though, admittedly unrealistic fantasy). Horses for courses...and an excellent manview. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michelle, I love the modern Harlequin Romance imprint royalty romances when they do the modern day princes and princesses fighting between desire and duty. I was just thinking how the sheikh and (modern) royalty books I love are all from the Harlequin Romance imprint. As for historical royalty, I can't comment as I don't read as much historicals these days.

      Delete
    2. Oh, and did you notice you got quoted in the post?

      Delete
    3. I did! Which is why I fear I've now disappointed Mr Manview. I love the Romance line's sheikh stories -- adored Liz Fielding's sheikh earlier this year. I love Annie West's sheikhs too -- they're rather delicious.

      Delete
  4. LOL! I love Manview! I have never read a Sheik book nor do I plan to read one, because of the same reasons. I don't mind historical royals, but I find contemporary ones a trial. I hate fictional countries although Avery Flynn, of all people, pulled it off splendidly. Keep up the snark, Steve!

    ReplyDelete